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The vast, largely desolate square in the centre of East Berlin, called “Alex” by Berliners, was one of the most vibrant places in Berlin before World War II – and no doubt it will be again some day. Alfred Döblin beautifully captured the rhythm of the city in his world-famous novel Berlin Alexanderplatz . Not much remains today of the once frenzied atmosphere, although there is plenty of hustle and bustle around the Kaufhof Galleria department store (see Shops & Markets) .

Originally, Alex was a cattle and wool market. Not many of the prewar buildings survived – only Berolinahaus and Alexanderhaus, next to the historic S-Bahn station Alexanderplatz, remain, both dating back to 1929. The square was almost completely laid to waste in World War II, and most of the surrounding soulless tower blocks were built in the 1960s. There are now plans to build skyscrapers on Alexanderplatz.

The 365-m (1,197-ft) high TV tower is the tallest building in Berlin, affording views of up to 40 km (25 miles) in good weather. There is a viewing platform at 203 m (666 ft). The Tele-Café above rotates once around its own axis every 30 minutes. The tower, visible from afar, was erected in 1965–9 by the East German government to signify the triumph of East Berlin, their “capital”.

Berlin’s proud town hall is the office of the Governing Mayor and is the political centre of power in Greater Berlin. The Rathaus was built in 1861–9, according to plans by Hermann Friedrich Waesemann on the site of an older town hall. It was designed to demonstrate the power and the glory of Berlin, and the architect took his inspiration for the new governmental building from Italian Renaissance palazzi .

The building is also known as the “Red Town Hall” – not a reminder of its Socialist past, but a reference to the red bricks from Brandenburg province from which it is built (see Historic Buildings) .

Heraldic animal at the Rathaus

Originally built in 1270, Marienkirche was extensively remodelled in the 15th century. Thanks to its Baroque church tower, designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1790, it is one of Berlin’s loveliest churches. Inside, the alabaster pulpit by Andreas Schlüter (1703) and the main altar (1762) are particularly worth seeing. The 15th-century Gothic font and a 22-m (72-ft) long fresco, Der Totentanz (The Dance of Death) from 1485 are its two oldest treasures. The church was a thorn in the side for the East German government because the cross on its tower is reflected in the TV tower.